bbno$
bbno$ | |
|---|---|
 bbno$ on the Cold Ones talk show, March 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alexander Leon Gumuchian |
| Born | June 30, 1995[1] Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[2] |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Associated acts |
|
| Website | Official website |
Alexander Leon Gumuchian (/ɡʊˈmuːtʃi��ɛn/; born June 30, 1995), better known as bbno$ (pronounced as "baby no money"),[4] is a Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia. He is best known for his collaborations with rapper Yung Gravy as well as his 2019 single, "Lalala" with producer Y2K, which has reached over 800 million plays on the streaming service Spotify.
Early life[]
Alexander Leon Gumuchian is a Canadian rapper, he was born in Vancouver[2] in 1995. He was home schooled before he began high school.[5] While growing up, his mother had encouraged him to learn piano but he had always struggled with music theory.[6] Gumuchian claims that he was good with rhythm and that he enjoyed playing Djembe drums, but did not listen to music for recreation until the age of 15.[6]
Career[]
2014–2016: Broke Boy Gang and SoundCloud[]
Gumuchian started working with music after experiencing a back injury which prevented him from pursuing his dream as a professional swimmer.[4][7] He became interested in rapping and music production in 2014 when experimenting on GarageBand with a group of friends.[8] Gumuchian began simply making music for enjoyment with this group of friends who later deemed themselves Broke Boy Gang.[4] After five or six months of performing live as a group and releasing multiple tracks online, the group broke up.[4] He began posting tracks on SoundCloud in September 2016 under the moniker of "bbnomula" where he quickly gained millions of streams and followers.[9][4] He gained popularity in China where he sold out his first few "back-to-back" headlining tours.[2] He credited his overseas popularity to the Chinese dance crew TFBoys, after one of the members, Jackson Yee, danced to the track "Yoyo Tokyo" at his own birthday party.[10]
2017–2018: Baby Gravy EP and Bb Steps[]
In 2017, Gumuchian released his first EP, Baby Gravy, as a collaboration with Yung Gravy,[11] shortly before releasing his debut studio album, Bb Steps, and his second collaborative EP, Whatever, with So Loki in 2018.[12][13]
2019: Recess, "Lalala" and I Don't Care at All[]
In early 2019, Gumuchian released his second studio album, Recess, which draws inspiration from the original Disney show of the same name, and includes features from Y2K and Trippy Tha Kid.[14][15] Many tracks off of Recess gained millions of streams on Spotify.[10] Gumuchian and Y2K have been recognized for marketing their single "Lalala" online by using various websites and online apps, namely Tinder, Instagram meme accounts, TikTok and Craigslist.[16][10] The song was able to peak on over 20 charts around the world and gain over 400 million streams and 500,000 sales in the United States.[17][16][18]
Later in 2019, Gumuchian would go on to release another album, I Don't Care At All. The album featured various pre-released singles, "Slop", "Pouch", and "Shining On My Ex", the latter of which featured frequent collaborator Yung Gravy. The album was solely produced by Y2K.[19]
2020: Baby Gravy 2 and Good Luck Have Fun[]
On February 14, 2020, Baby Gravy 2 was released in collaboration with Yung Gravy. It serves as a sequel to the 2017 Baby Gravy EP.
The video for his single "Imma" features bbno$ in drag, travelling around Victoria with drag queen Jimbo.[20]
2021-present: My Oh My and Eat Ya Veggies[]
On January 29, 2021, "Help Herself" was released. The song, produced by Diamond Pistols, served as the first single from a new bbno$ project.[21]
Later in the year, on May 14, 2021, the five-song EP titled My Oh My released. Three of the five songs, "Help Herself", "Bad to the Bone", and "Help Herself" (with Benee) had been released as singles prior to the EP releasing.
On July 24, 2021, "Edamame" featuring Rich Brian was released. This song was the first single from bbno$' mixtape Eat Ya Veggies.
Shortly after the release of "Edamame" bbno$ started teasing a new album on Twitter.[22][23] Following that, bbno$ released the second single from the project, titled "I Remember", on September 22, 2021.[24]
On October 8, 2021, bbno$ released Eat Ya Veggies.
Artistry[]
Musical style[]
Gumuchian has described his own music as "oxymoronic rap" that is "ignorant but melodic".[25]
Influences[]
Gumuchian grew up listening to straight bass dubstep and house music from names like Datsik and Excision, before listening to hip-hop artists, namely Tupac, Gucci Mane and Chief Keef.[6] He has cited Yung Lean and Pouya as his main inspirations as a rapper.[8][26]
Personal life[]
Gumuchian lives in Vancouver but has previously lived in Kelowna, where he received a degree in human kinesiology at University of British Columbia Okanagan in 2019.[26][6]
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [27] |
FIN [28] |
LIT [29] |
NOR [30] |
US [31] | |||||||||
| Bb Steps[12] |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Recess[14] |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| I Don't Care at All[32] |
|
88 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Baby Gravy 2[33] (with Yung Gravy) |
|
— | — | — | — | 188 | |||||||
| Good Luck Have Fun[34] |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Eat Ya Veggies[35] |
|
36 | 19 | 17 | 32 | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||||
Extended plays[]
- Baby Gravy (2017)[11]
- Whatever (with So Loki) (2018)[13]
- Babydrip (with SwuM) (2018)[36]
- My Oh My (2021)[37]
Singles[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album/EP | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [38] |
AUS [39] |
FIN [28] |
NOR [30] |
NZ [40] |
SWE [41] |
UK [42] |
US [43] |
US R&B [44] |
WW [45] | ||||
| "Money Conversation" (with Y2K)[46] |
2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Thankful" (with Y2K and Lewis Grant)[47] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Recess | ||
| "Pouch" (with Y2K)[48] |
2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Don't Care At All | |
| "Cheesy" (with Warhol.SS and Dilip)[49] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Lalala" (with Y2K or with Y2K, Carly Rae Jepsen and Enrique Iglesias) |
10 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 16 | 58 | 32 | 55 | 22 | — | |||
| "Bad Boy" (with Yung Bae and Billy Marchiafava)[53] |
84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bae 5 | ||
| "Slop" | — | — | — | — | —[A] | — | — | — | — | — | I Don't Care at All | ||
| "Shining on My Ex" (with Yung Gravy)[55] |
— | — | — | — | —[B] | — | — | — | — | — | I Don't Care at All and Baby Gravy 2 | ||
| "Iunno" (with Yung Gravy)[57] |
— | — | — | — | —[C] | — | — | — | — | — | Baby Gravy 2 | ||
| "Welcome to Chilis" (with Yung Gravy) |
2020 | — | — | — | — | —[D] | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Off the Goop" (with Yung Gravy and Cuco)[60] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Out of Control" (with ceo@business.net and Lentra)[61] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Incentivize Unpaid Overtime | ||
| "Mememe" (with Lentra)[62] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Good Luck Have Fun | ||
| "Quarantine Freestyle" (with Lentra)[63] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "What Would Baby Do?" (with Lentra)[64] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Bad Boy" (with Yung Bae, and Max)[65] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Astrology" (with Lentra)[66] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Good Luck Have Fun | ||
| "Jack Money Bean" (with Yung Gravy and Lentra)[67] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Good Luck Have Fun and Gasanova | ||
| "Imma" (with Lentra)[68] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Good Luck Have Fun | ||
| "Backwards" (with Lentra)[69] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "WaWaWa" (with Y2K)[70] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Help Herself" (with Diamond Pistols)[71] |
2021 | — | — | — | — | —[E] | — | — | — | — | — | My Oh My | |
| "Bad to the Bone" (with Lentra)[73] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Wussup" (with Yung Gravy)[74] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Edamame" (featuring Rich Brian) |
15 | — | 8 | 24 | —[F] | — | — | — | — | 169 |
|
Eat Ya Veggies | |
| "Take a Trip" (with ceo@business.net and Jungle Bobby)[76] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||||
Other charted songs[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album/EP |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot [77] | |||
| "Yoga" (featuring Rebecca Black) |
2021 | 40 | Eat Ya Veggies |
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Juno Award | Fan Choice Award | Nominated | [78] |
| Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Nominated |
Notes[]
- ^ "Slop" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 40 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[54]
- ^ "Shining on My Ex" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 25 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[56]
- ^ "Iunno" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 21 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[58]
- ^ "Welcome to Chilis" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 40 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[59]
- ^ "Help Herself" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 13 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[72]
- ^ "Edamame" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number seven on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[75]
References[]
- ^ "bbno$ discography". RateYourMusic.
- ^ a b c Fox, Isaac Nikolai (February 27, 2018). "This is how bbno$ got big in China – and why he's never going back to school". Good Juice Box. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Lamarre, Carl (July 3, 2019). "Emerging Hip-Hop/R&B: Megan Thee Stallion, Y2K and Bbno$ Make Chart Moves". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Lyazov, Valentin (November 7, 2018). "Meet bbno$: The Definition of Fun Rap". Underground Underdogs. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ "Y2K, BBNO$ release official video for LALALA". Thisfunktional. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Harvey, Brodie (September 3, 2019). "FROM MEMES TO THE MASSES: THE WILD RISE OF BBNO$". Lyrical Lemonade. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- ^ Nazarian, Andrea (January 25, 2019). "Bbno$ Is Having More Fun Than You". BeatRoute. Canada. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- ^ a b Bernstein, Sarah (October 12, 2016). "bbno$ Talks about The Rap Game". The Urban (sure) Hustle. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ "bbnomula". SoundCloud.
- ^ a b c Fu, Eddie (July 11, 2019). "In Search Of: Bbno$' Y2K-Produced Hit "Lalala" Is Just His Latest Viral Success". Genius. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ a b "Baby Gravy – EP by Yung Gravy & bbno$", Apple Music
- ^ a b "Bb Steps by bbno$", Apple Music
- ^ a b "Whatever by bbno$ & So Loki", Apple Music
- ^ a b "Recess by bbno$". Apple Music.
- ^ Mike (January 28, 2019). "Bbno$ Unleashes Some Heat With New Project, "Recess"". Daily Chiefers. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Leight, Elias (July 24, 2019). "How Y2k and bbno$ Turned 'Lalala' Into a Hit, One Tinder Match at a Time". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Lalala by Y2K and Bbnos – Music Charts". ACharts.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – bbno$ & Y2K – Lalala". Recording Industry Association of America. September 6, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "bbno$ Releases "I Don't Care At All" Album". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ Bryen Dunn, "Canada’s Drag Race – and then there were three!". The Buzz, August 2020.
- ^ christian [@diamondpistols] (January 29, 2021). "help herself with @bbnomula out now!!! this is a really special one I hope y'all like it